Pure Imagination
by Wickedly Caskett
Summary: Glinda looks back at her life, all the things she blames herself for and everything else between. A trip through her dreams and memories leads to a surprise visit from two of her lost, closest friends. Post-musical.


It's one of those nights again. One of those nights when I look back… Look back on the many years since everything I once knew collapsed. Those countless years since this burden fell onto my back. Those neverending years since everyone I loved vanished into thin air. Many years since everyone d… Those carefree schoolgirl days, with my only true friends there for what felt like would last forever. All go…gone.

Biting back bitter tears, I gaze out of the window of my palace in the Emerald City again, breathing in the cool night air again, dragging up those happy, wonderful memories again that I had refused to let loose. Never, never would I lose these precious moments. Fiyero's first party at Shiz at the most swankified place in town, Biq's, I mean Boq's, desperate attempts to get me to love the lovestruck fool, and most of all. Most of all, Elphaba. Elphaba and her odd ways, Elphaba and her luminescent green skin, Elphaba and her fits of magical rage, Elphaba and her broom, flying off into the night sky and leav…

It's all too much. Too much, living like this, alone for such a long eternity. Something in my stomach tightens and those tears flood down my face uncontrollably. Memories won't stop coming into my mind's eye, Fiyero and when I changed my name in a desperate attempt to impress him, meeting the Wizard, helping rule Oz as that wretch Morrible spun wicked lies about... Elphie... seeing her with Fiyero, seeing her caught because of how horrible I was, watching Elphie get... get kil... kille... killed. How it was my fault she's gone. All my fault!

Sinking to the floor of the balcony I watched over the city from, there aren't any more tears. Just wracking sobs.

"Why me?" I cry towards the full moon above, to nobody in particular, "Why let me see the truth at last and then snatch away everything I loved? Why me?"

There's no more strength left in me. I crumple onto the ground, not even taking the slightest notice of the grand dress I was certainly ruining right now.

"Now now Galinda, there's no need to ruin that pretty dress," I hear a voice say. I know that voice. Dreaming now, surely. She's gone. Like everyone else. Just a figment of my imagination, right? Of course it was. It would be impossible for her to actually be here. She's gone. Gone forever. Never coming back. And it's my fault that she's not coming back...

"Don't cry my sweet," says the voice again, and a familiar hand reaches down to help me up. I was certain this beautiful dream will vanish, surely, soon like they always do. With the help of the person I stand up shakily, brushing off my dress absentmindedly.

"There you go," says the voice, seeming almost saddened, "And I promise I… I won't vanish. Not yet. And there's another person here you'll want to see too I bet."

A small cackle filled the air, but one edged with something. It seemed almost flat in a way. Forced somehow.

"Elphie?" I say, forcing myself to look at this image my imagination has brought on to ease my pain, "I'm dreaming, aren't I."

For an imaginary figure, it's an awful good one. Her dark raven hair is as glorious as ever in the moonlight, her skin just as luminescent as before, "I'm afraid this is a dream Galinda. But not quite a dream at the same time. I brought someone else you're gonna want to see."

A handsome, tall, and very familiar man walks out from behind Elphie's lithe figure, and he waves at me. My mind's getting better at making these images of my old friends.

"Hey Galinda, nice to see you again."

"Fiyero," I say, hugging both of my best friends, crying again out of happiness even though I know this is just all a dream, "It's… It's been so long."

"It… It has," said Elphaba hesitantly, whispering to Fiyero quietly something, who nodded in response.

"We've missed you Galinda, but I'm afraid we won't get many more visits like this," he says, smiling sympathetically at me.

"Why not?" I say as demandingly as I could crying, "Why… Why can't you just stay with me here… nobody'll know…"

"I wish with all of my heart we could stay my sweet," said Elphie, holding my chin in her hand, "But my powers… even I have limits when it comes to magic. I will try and visit as often as I can."

"But for now we must bid you farewell. But we will meet again, I promise Galinda. I promise."

The pair turned and hopped onto that old broom, just like I remembered her doing so many years ago.

"I promise Galinda, promise…"

Her words trailed off as they flew off into the night sky, her figure getting smaller and smaller as they disappeared. Losing consciousness again, the world of sleep dragged me from my lovely dream…

* * *

><p>"Yero, why can't… why can't we just tell her the truth?" I say, shaking my head, "I just… I hate seeing her suffer like that day in and day out."<p>

"So do I Fae," he says, "I wish we could tell her that these visits weren't just dreams. That we weren't just a part of her imagination, just as badly as you do. But you know we can't. Not if we want to be safe."

I nod, leaning back into my Yero's arms, "I just wish…"

"I know," he says, "But we'll all be together someday. Someday far in the future we'll all be together again and nobody will be there to stop us."

The broom flew off in its normal westerly course, heading to the place that Yero and I called home these days. I could just make out the city looking back, and if I tried hard, I could even make myself believe I could see Glinda through the clouds.

"I promise," I whispered, before turning back to the western skies and speeding off.


End file.
